


The Empire of Winter

by Gialagolidis_nik



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Age of Heroes, Alternate History, Alternate Universe, Ancient History, Andal Invasion, Burrow Kings, Children of the Forest, Depends on reactions, Don't Judge Me, Don't Like Don't Read, Giants, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kings of Winter, Magic, Marsh Kings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Please Don't Hate Me, Powerful North, Red Kings, Spoilers, Targaryen conquest, This Is STUPID, This might be abandoned later, Wargs, Wars, Work In Progress, don't get your hopes up, i guess, this is an experiment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-01-24 15:56:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18574747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gialagolidis_nik/pseuds/Gialagolidis_nik
Summary: The history of how the Starks conquered the North and defeated their enemies, from the Long Night to the Age of heroes, from the Andal invasion to the Targaryen conquest and beyond. Depends on your reactions if i continue this.





	1. The dying King

**Brandon**  


Brandon lifted his bronze greatsword, and brought it down for the final time. He impaled the leg of the fleeing Giant King, bringing the great beast down. He looked around him, searching for more alive Giants in the field. Most of them were dead, impaled by spears or smitten by arrows. The rest of them were fleeing, and his army stood victorious. He felt great pride in the thought of that. This was his accomplishment, and no one could take that from him. He entertained thoughts about his father leading an army, and laughed with himself.

 From his point of view, his father was useless. He couldn't even lift a blade, while he was able to fight giants. Sometimes it even made him questioned his parentage. But he knew better than that. Maybe he didn't have the character of Garth Greenhand, but he had his features. There was no doubt about who his father was. It didn't make him happy, but it was the truth.

 The only person more useless than his father was his elder brother. At least his father was able to fuck like a man, having more than ten wives. The only thing Garth the youngest was interested in was his plants and flowers. Some of the men had started to call him Gardener, but he didn't even had a problem with it. Brandon didn't care. He had decided that if he ever earned a last name, it woud have been because of much more serious actions than watching over his flowers.

 He thought about what his actions should be now. The Giants were finally beaten and driven out of the Reach, and there was nothing for him there. He thought about the tales his mother told him, about a land far in the North, filled with Giants and children of the forest. Yes, that was what he would do. He would travel to an unknown land and earn a crown for himself. He would deserve what he took, unlike his useless brother.

 "Come here, young magnar."

 The booming voice of the giant before him pulled him out of his thoughts. The Giant King had a spear through his belly, and an arrow through his left eye. He was going to die.

 "You fight like a giant, human. You fought for your people, and won. I respect that."

 He pulled a black crown out of his head, and layed it down.

 "Take it. It is made of dragonglass, enchanted by the children to ward the wearer. You can't wear it, but i want you to have it. My people are scattered across the continent, fleeing North. You fought with honour. You can ensure their safety. There is no need for a war. Try to make peace between our species. I beg of you, young magnar. You are the last hope my people have."

 Brandon took the crown of the fallen king, making a decision. A decision to create a nation were one day, there would be no need for war. And he made his life goal to unify the First Men, something that he fought for his entire life to accomplish, and his descendants followed this goal for thousands of years.


	2. Going north

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brandon leaves for the North.

  **Brandon**

It didn't take long to convince his men to follow him north. They were united in the battle, and they were loyal to him, and not his father. His family didn't even care. He was too savage for their delicate manners anyway. His men had started to call him the Bloody Blade now. Perhaps the lands of his mother would suit him after all.

 He left the hill that his family resided early in the morning. With him left 4.000 men, and his friends and companions, Randyll Casterly and Durran. They marched north, making way for the lands of winter. Some of his companions left during the journey. Durran marched east with 500 men, wishing to set down and live next to the sea. During a hunt, Randyll found gold and other valuable ores inside the caves of a mountain, and remained there with 500 men as well. 

 When he was passing through the lands of the many rivers, he encountered many giants. Some were convinced to follow him, and when he arrived at the physical borders of the North he was accompanied by more than a dozen giants. But that wasn't good enough. There were hundreds of them across the land. And he was going to find all of them.

 During his passage through the swamps of the Neck, he lost almost 1.000 of his men to the clans of the crannogmen. He swore to come back and avenge them one day, but he was in no position to do so now. He continued his journey North, until he reached a warm place, which housed a great weirwood tree and a lake. He had a wooden fort built around that tree, and decided to unite the clans of the North under his own rule. 

 He knew that the great warlords of the first men used their own banners, and so he took a banner for his own. He chose a white direwolf on a black field, for the beast that ruled the northern mountains, symbolising his own rule. He continued his war against the children of the forest, killing so many that he forced them into hiding in the Wolfswood. These actions of him, forced the children of the forest to create the white walkers, and start the events of the Long Night.

 Brandon was killed by a white walker, many years later. His son, Garth,  continued to fight against the dead, uniting many of the northern clans in a common goal. When he was killed by an undead giant, his son, and Brandon's grandson, named Brandon as well, after being fostered with Durran Godsgrief for his teenage years, returned to the North to defend it. He was the one to make peace with the children of the forest, driving back the walkers to the Lands of Always Winter. He got the surname Stark, for his stoic nature, and it followed him and his ancestors for the rest of his line. As the years passed, he came to be known as Brandon the Builder.


	3. Northern council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First POV of Brandon the Builder

**Brandon**

 Brandon looked at the people around him with his cold and calculating gaze. The most powerful men of the North had been gathered to the eastern part of the Wolfswood. The Long Night had brought them together, but now that it had come to an end the pointless fighting between humans had started again. 

 Around him stood the kings and the warlords that helped him to defeat the dead. Tytos Greenwood and Hoster Blackwood were arguing about the kingship of the Wolfswood. Robert Fisher and Brynden Dustin had recently been at war with each other, and they wouldn't even acknowledge each others presence. And some of the leaders of the Northeners hadn't even responded to his call. Rodric Bolton remained on his lands, claiming he had to oversee the construction of his fortress, while Garlan Towers had refused to be in the same room with a Dustin.

 The only reasonable people in the room except for himself were Asher Wull and Gregor Umber. Asher Wull was the chief of the mountain clans, and since they followed strength, they had pledged themselves to Brandon and his cause to unite the North. Gregor was a huge and muscled man, over 2 meters tall. Gregor's father was the child of a clansman and a female giant, and they had used their great strength to become kings in the northern parts of the North.

 "I didn't fight the Others to bow down to a Blackwood!"

 "Well, how about you fight against me, you greenboy? You think you have what it takes to rule?"

 "Enough! I didn't call you here to start another war. You are here because i want you to set aside your petty differences. Next to the common threat, we made peace with the Children and each other to survive. Why should we abandon that peace? We can unite the kingdoms of men and prosper under a single banner."

 "And i suppose that you want us to bend the knee to you, Stark? We come from the line of the ancient leader of the first men. We bow to no one!"

 "This goes beyond pride, King Brynden. We can have peace, after hundreds of years of wars. How can you dismiss that?"

 "Aye, Brandon has it right. He and his men bled for us, and they aided us in our war against the dead before anyone else. My family is the symbol of the union of giants and men, while he made peace with the children. He is a king i am willing to follow."

 "The Wolfswood won't be rulled by any outsider." It was the only time Blackwood and Greenwood agreed.

 "Neither will the Stoney Shore!" Robert exclaimed.

 "I speak the same for the Burrowlands."

 Brandon was angered. Their pride wouldn't allow them to see the benefit of his offer, and he would be forced to go to war with them.

 "You may leave free from my home. But i am warning you, that I intend to unite the North no matter what you choose."

 Most of the kings left for their homes to prepare themselves for war, while a few remained with Brandon. Thankfully, most of the giants were with him, some 160 of them. He knew he could use them in battle and how effective they would be for that. The day after the meeting of the kings, an envoy from the Children arrived. They claimed to be there as alies, and he decided to meet them. He entered his room, and found 3 of them waiting for him. One of them held a dragonglass crown, on which were carved runes, while the other held a greatsword inside a black scabbard.

 "Brandon Stark. You aim to bring peace to this land, and the Children of the forest will aim you in your journey. This crown is embodied with our magic to ward the wearer from evil. Step forward."

 Brandon lowered his head, and the Children crowned him, proclaiming him King of Winter and protector of the North. 

 "I swear to protect my people, and defend the old gods and the Children with my dying breath."

 "Then rise, Brandon Stark, first King of Winter. And for your coronation, we have another gift. Before the start of the Long Night, a falling star crossed the night sky. It was split in two, and while the smaller part continued on a route to the south, the most part landed to the North. From this star, we took a pale white metal, and forged this sword. The rest of the metal you can use to any end that you wish. The sword is strengthed by our magic, for one day the dead will return, and they will have to be stopped again."

 " That explains my vision. Every time that i go to sleep, for the past month, i have been seeing a great wall, protecting the realms of men. And i intend to make that dream reality."


	4. War preparations

**Brandon**

Brandon was walking down the hallway to his  newly built solar. The construction of Winterfell hasn't been completed yet, but the giants would have it completed within the next months. He entered his solar, and found his bannermen waiting for him. Gregor Umber and Asher Wull were already discussing battle plans and the best way to conquer the Wolfswood.

"My lords. I'm sorry for the delay. Shall we begin? How goes the preparation? When will we be ready to march?"

"Soon enough, your Grace. The giants are ready, and most of the men are already here. We are expecting some more from Lord Umber, and then we shall begin our march."

"How many men have we summoned, Lord Wull?"

"Three thousand have been gathered from the lands around Winterfell, and i have brought some two thousand with me."

"And the reinforcements from your people, Lord Umber?"

"Unfortunately, your Grace, they are no more than a thousand. We are currently at war with the Ambers, and we have to defend ourselves."

"I understand, Lord Umber. So we shall march with six thousand men. How about our reserves? Lord Cerwyn?"

"The lands around Winterfell can call upon three thousand more men, your Grace."

"Lord Wull?"

"We have almost two thousand more men on the mountains, to defend against wildling invaders."

"Good. Then we shall leave our lands well defended. And the enemy?"

"Hoster Blackwood has mastered some two thousand men, while Tytos Greenwood has gathered fifteen hundred."

"That's all? I expected bigger resistance."

"A lot of the lords of the forest have decided to stay out of the conflict and side with the winner."

"That is good for us. Perhaps we can benefit from this. We should contact them and offer lordship over the woods in exchange for their help. Which is the most powerful of the defiant houses?"

**Rickard**

Rickard Glover was a practical man. He didn't hate the kings of the Wolfswood out of jealousy, or pride. He hated them because the Blackwoods and the Greenwoods had fought over his own land multiple times. His house had been forced to switch allegiance after every minor war, and his people always payed the price for it. So, when Brandon Stark announced his intentions of uniting the North, he knew what the best thing for his house was.

He had convinced as many of his fellow lords as he could to remain out of the conflict, and now it would pay of. Rickard had received a message from the Starks. The rider that had arrived claimed that King Brandon offered to house Glover the lordship of the Wolfswood, and the thing he required from them was to swear their allegiance to him and fight for the Starks. It was one of the easiest choices of his life.

"Ramsay. Have our allies prepared the army?"

"Yes my lord. We have gathered five hundred men, ready to march."

"Good. Send a message to King Brandon. Tell him that i accept his offer and his terms, and that my men are now pledged to his cause."

"Are you certain, my lord? You are committing treason, after all."

"I am only betraying a king that has betrayed us multiple times himself. Time to follow a king i can respect, Ramsay. Prepare the men. And send the message."

"As you wish, my lord."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you comment, i am making changes to the timeline. This is an alternative universe, after all. Winterfell will be much bigger than canon, I haven't decided how much yet. Tell me your opinions.


	5. The Battle of the Flaming Forest

**Hoster**

Hoster was extremely satisfied with himself. He had done the unthinkable and ended the petty war between his house and the Greenwoods. Brandon Stark was right in that, after all. The enemy of my enemy is a friend. And Brandon had recently made a lot of enemies. 

Along with Tytos Greenwood, Hoster had managed to gather an army of four thousand men. Most of the Wolfswood had answered his call, and the ones that didn't would be punished after the battle. He watched his pikemen getting in formation, ready to march against the Stark army. Brandon's army in the opposite side of the clearing was also ready for attack.

Hoster chuckled, thinking about the silly rumours about Brandon being a capable general. He had completely fell for Hoster's taunts and entered the Wolfswood to fight. Here the superior numbers wouldn't matter. Hoster's men knew the terrain, and they would fight to defend their homes. They wouldn't lose.

His plan was simple. Engage the Stark with his vanguard, and force him to deploy his men. Then he would seemingly retreat and lure the Stark men into what it would seem an easy victory. Then the reserves would go from around and the Starks would be surrounded. Within the chaos of the battle, they wouldn't notice until it would be too late. And then the only choice would be surrender or get slaughtered.

The sound of the horn of the Stark army took his attention away from his thoughts. He smiled. The sooner he would crush Brandon, the sooner he would be able to get rid of Tytos and remain as the true king with his power unchallenged. This would be a good day. 

**Brandon**

Brandon gave the signal for his army to march. This was the beginning of his quest to unite the North, and would be a chance to show to his enemies why they should fear him. He couldn't afford to lose. If he failed this battle, he would might as well give up.

In the opposite side of the field, the armies of the Wolfswood rode to meet him. In the front he could see the Blackwood banner of a dead weirwood tree surrounded by ravens. If that banner fell, the spirit of the opposing army would break. He pulled out his greatsword, nodding to Asher to sound the charge.

He looked, once again, upon his sword, admiring its beauty. It truly was a work of art. The blade was pale white, like the moon, and the handle was shaped into a white wolf with blood red eyes, like their sigil. The pommel however, was shaped into a falling star, to show the origin of the blade. He had named it Twilight, and it was truly fitting.

They met the enemy lines, and soon the world was turned Jon into chaos. Lord Umber was bashing heads left and right with a massive warhammer, while Asher was wielding his double axe with the speed of a shadowcat. They pushed the Blackwoods and the Greenwoods behind, back into the Wolfswood. Their enemies were losing ground, slowly, but steadily. 

Brandon's sword at this point was more red than white, and he was soaked from the blood of his fallen enemies. He thought about the nickname of his grandfather, and laughed.  _He laughed._ Perhaps that would suit him. Brandon Stark, the Laughing Wolf. He chuckled at the thought of that. Whoever knew him, also knew why that nickname would not be the one for him. He was called Stark for a reason, after all.

Suddenly, the enemy lines broke, and their men fled inside the forest. Brandon knew better than to follow them, but he couldn't get control of his men. The largest part of his army followed in pursuit, in an attempt to stop the enemy retreat. After a few seconds, they were all shallowed by the vastness of the Wolfswood.

**Hoster**

The battle had gone exactly as planned. Now the only thing left to do would be wait for the rest of their men to surround the Stark forces, and victory would be theirs to grasp. He signaled his army to stop the fake retreat, and they waited. They would have to stand for maybe an hour longer, and then it would all be over.

Then, while they were ready to stop the approaching Starks, they saw lights approaching them from behind. Tremors were heard and felt on the ground, and a strange fear filled the hearts of his men. Hoster was angered. This wasn't the time to panic. They had to hold the line. There shoud be no one there, the Glovers should have gone to surround the Starks 

When the army from behind them got closer, he managed to make out a sigil of a closed fist, rising in defiance. The Glovers had betrayed them. He would make them pay. And then, he saw something far more terrifying than the approaching Glover army.  _Giants._ Fucking giants, armed with clubs and huge torches, setting the trees on fire. Under the darkness of the Wolfswood, the shades from the fires were making them out to look like demons.

Needless to say, his men were terrified. Their ranks were already broken by the time the giants reached them, and they fled back from where they came.  _Towards the Stark army._  

What followed, was a slaughter. The Starks had only made it seem like they lost control and chased them, while in reality Brandon had perfect control over his men. His men were trapped between fire and steel, and their desperation and fear made it impossible to form any defence. In the end, the men of the Greenwoods surrendered to Brandon, after he killed Tytos single-handily. Tytos was the last of his family, and Hoster would be happy, if he wasn't sure he would be the one to follow. 

He made a decision then. He knew that he would never rule the Wolfswood again, not after such a great loss. At best, he would become a vasall of the Glovers, and he couldn't accept that. So he did what was necessary for his house, and although he was ashamed for it for his entire life, he never regretted his decision. He fled. He took the rest of the men loyal to him, and left the flaming battlefield, running for his life to the South. The Battle of the Flaming Forest ended in a massive Stark victory, and no one would question Brandon's rule over the Wolfswood again.

 


	6. Barrow alliance

**Brandon**

Brandon watched as his men drove the battle ram straight into the gates of Ironrath. Once again he regretted not bringing the giants with him, but he had send some to Castle Blackwood, and most of them home to finish the construction of Winterfell. Now he had to sacrifice more lives for the pride of a foolish steward. Damn him.

His attention got captured by a cracking sound. He looked upon the gate to find it busting wide open. His men entered the fort like the watter flooding a valley. After that, it didn't take long for the men of the keep to surrender. Most of them were afraid, but some of them stood their ground with an unyielding gaze. He looked at the man at the front and spoke to him.

"Are you the leader of these men?"

"Aye. The only capable to defend the fortress after you killed our king."

"I offered your king the chance to lay down his crown, twice. He told me that i would get it over his dead body. And that's exactly what happened."

"And i suppose that you want us to bend the knee now?"

"Yes."

"I swore an oath to house Greenwood."

"House Greenwood is gone. A replacement for their position would be beneficial for me. Can you keep the same oath to me?"

He took a thinking face. Then he answered.

"Will you swear to rule justly and protect the people of the Wolfswood?"

"Yes."

"Then i, Martin of House Forrester, swear my allegiance to House Stark of Winterfell. I will follow King Brandon Stark to war and peace and my descendants will follow his."

"And i, Brandon of House Stark, swear to rule you justly and never to give an order that will bring you dishonour. You may rise, Martin Forrester, Lord of Ironrath."

**Brynden**

Brynden Dustin was amazed. In the beginning he thought the Stark a fool that wanted to step out of his grandfather's shadow. Now he was worried. King Brandon had defeated the united forces of the Wolfswood, and he had even found new allies in it. He knew that he had to preserve his crown. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. And in this case that would be an alliance with the houses of the Rills.

He had already sent a messenger to the Stoney Shore. He knew that if he wanted to win this war he needed everyone he could get. Well, that's except for Rodric Bolton. Even in a time like this he wouldn't trust a Bolton. Thankfully, they were currently at war with House Hornwood, so they were pretty busy.

He entered his solar, to find Garlan Towers and Edmure Ryder waiting for him. This was going to be hard. He had gone to war with them multiple times, and they wouldn't forget that easily. But they had to. Their crowns were on the line.

"King Garlan. King Edmure. Welcome to Barrow Hall."

"Thank you, King Brynden. I have to admit, when the messenger arrived i thought it was a fake, some trick from bandits and outlaws to capture me. And yet here you stand. Please enlighten us. Why are we here?"

"You know very well why you are here, Towers, so don't play innocent with me. Brandon Stark has conquered the Wolfswood. Houses Glover, Branch and Forrester have all pledged themselves under his command. House Greenwood has been eradicated. And Hoster Blackwood has fled to the South, bellow the Neck."

"Indeed. The success of the Starks is quite worrying, and troublesome for most. But that doesn't explain why you have called us here."

"Do you want me to say it out loud Garlan? We need each others help."

"I disagree. The forces of the Starks are tired, while ours are fresh. The Rills are much more fertile than the Wolfswood and we can raise a lot of men. We don't need you."

"You are fools. That's what the Blackwoods thought as well. Can you guarantee that your lords will not betray you under the promise of more power? The Glovers helped the Starks, and now the Wolfswood is theirs. Brandon has set an example. Serve him well and he will reward you. Fight him and you suffer the fate of Tytos Greenwood."

"Sounds like you respect him."

"I do. But I am still going to fight him. Just like you. So let us help each other. I'm not asking you to bow down to me. Just fight with me on the field, and then we can go back at hating each other like usual."

They smiled.

"King Brynden, you found yourself two new allies."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Massive inspiration from The Fall of Dragons by KingOfWinter and Reign Of Winter in fanfiction.net by BoyishVoid


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